School District U46 community helps those in need for the holiday

A coat drive dropoff box at School District U46 headquarters overflows with donations this week. The district community has launched a score of holiday charitable efforts this month.

A coat drive dropoff box at School District U46 headquarters overflows with donations this week. The district community has launched a score of holiday charitable efforts this month. (Geoff Ziezulewicz, Chicago Tribune)

Students, staff and community members of School District U46 have launched into a holiday spirit of generosity this month, spearheading a variety of initiatives to help those less fortunate.

Roughly 62 percent of U46 students are classified as low income, according to Illinois State Board of Education data.

"Through their compassion and generosity, our students, staff and community partners reflect the best of this season," District CEO Tony Sanders said in a statement.

This week, Fox Meadow Elementary students in South Elgin were wrapping up a project where they made cards and sent them to a little girl who is the lone survivor of an arson attack at her home who had asked people to send her holiday cards, according to the district.

That school also brought in more than $2,000 in recent weeks to support the "Change for Hunger" program, run by the Food for Greater Elgin food pantry.

The Hawk Hollow student council in Bartlett held a food drive to support the Hanover and Wayne Township food pantries, with items slated to be delivered on Friday.

Over at Lincoln Elementary in Hoffman Estates, the school teamed up with Jewel, Wal-Mart and several other grocery stores to send "candy cane greetings" to local families, with money collected through the program going toward grocery gift cards for needy families, according to the district.

Spring Trail Elementary third graders collected hats and mittens for Carol Stream, while Elgin High hosted a coat drive and Gifford Street High teachers collected gifts for those living at the Maryville Academy, according to the district.

Liberty Elementary's Step Up Club organized a "Tie-In," where students helped make fleece hats, scarves and blankets that were donated to homeless families in the district.

Bartlett High's community gathered donations for 65 high school families, raising more than $12,000 in the process, according to the district.

Spring Trail Elementary collected and donated 26 boxes of non-perishable food items that were handed over to the Carol Stream Fire Department for distribution at a local food pantry.

Along with several other efforts at schools across the districts, Elgin High School's Student Council participated in its 13th year of "Operation Payless."

High school students are paired with 30 students from elementary schools and take a trip to Payless Shoe Store, where the younger kids can pick out a pair of shoes that are paid for via the student council's fundraising efforts.

The students then get to have lunch at McDonald's and end the day with a tour of Elgin High, according to the district.

A version of this article appeared in print on December 21, 2015, in the News section of the Chicago Tribune with the headline "U46 aids needy for the holiday - Community works together to help less fortunate" —
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